The real estate brokerage platform "Zigbang" utilizes basic real estate data and actual transaction information provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to offer its services. The lodging application "Yanolja" is leveraging local government cultural and tourism information to create synergies with its existing accommodation brokerage business. These corporations are all valued at over $1 billion and are considered "unicorn companies" within 10 years of their founding.
These corporations share the common trait of having utilized public data provided by the government. As of January this year, over 100,000 pieces of information are being provided for free. The government plans to focus on opening AI-related data in response to the growing demand for artificial intelligence.
◇Over 100,000 public data released for the first time in 12 years
According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, as of January this year, the number of public data made available on the public data portal stands at 102,052. This is an increase of more than 19 times from 5,272 when the first release began in 2013, 12 years ago.
The public data portal is a platform that integrates information released by various agencies so that the public and corporations can utilize public data. Through this platform, over 1,100 agencies, including central administrative agencies, local governments, public institutions, and the National Assembly, provide information in various fields.
Since the enactment of the "Public Data Act" in 2013, the government has established a legal framework for utilizing the information it holds in the private sector. The purpose of this law is to contribute to the improvement of quality of life and the economic development of the nation through the private utilization of public data.
A Ministry of the Interior and Safety official noted, "Countries that have enacted laws to provide information held by the government to the private sector are almost unique to South Korea." South Korea has ranked first in the public data openness index evaluation conducted every two years by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for four consecutive assessments from 2015 to 2023.
◇"Public data opening creates 3,100 private companies and services"
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety stated that a total of 3,131 private companies and services have been created using the information shared with the private sector in this manner. Starting with 146 in 2013, the numbers have been increasing by an average of 200 to 300 each year.
Among the 3,131 services, mobile apps account for the majority with 2,402. This is followed by web (700) and other formats such as kiosks (29).
By field, services utilizing culture and tourism were the most numerous at 666. This is followed by environment and weather (394), transportation and logistics (385), health and medical (261), and land management (252).
The most frequently released public data by the government is in the category of public and administrative at 14.9%. This is followed by culture and tourism (12.1%), industry and employment (9.3%), transportation and logistics (8.3%), and environment and weather (7.8%).
The most downloaded open API by the private sector is the "continuous cadastral map" from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. A Ministry of the Interior and Safety official explained, "The continuous cadastral map can identify terrain elevation and analyze safety zones," adding that it is widely used in areas such as real estate development and disaster safety management.
An open API is a type of software that external software developers or users can utilize for application development and other purposes.
The government plans to strengthen its policy to open relevant data in response to the increasing demand for artificial intelligence.
Lee Yong-seok, the Director of Digital Government Innovation at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said, "Based on the achievements made thus far, we will significantly open public data that is AI-friendly to contribute to domestic AI development and dissemination, thereby implementing public data policies that meet the demands of citizens and corporations."